John Wood Community College to be site of two FAFSA filing workshops in January

QUINCY — John Wood Community College will be the site of two Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) filing workshops in January.

The first workshop will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23. The second will take place from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30. Both workshops will be in room B108 of the JWCC Student Administrative Center on the Quincy campus at 48th and Harrison.

The workshops are free and open to any current and prospective college students, high school seniors, and parents who are navigating the financial aid process for the 2024–25 academic year. John Wood Community College’s financial aid team will be available for one-on-one consultations and to address any questions attendees may have.

As of Jan. 1, the Department of Education has soft-launched an updated version of the FAFSA, which involves unannounced, intermittent suspension of access for students and parents attempting to file. If this suspension occurs during either workshop, JWCC staff will arrange an individual appointment in the future when the FAFSA application site is available.

Some eligibility and processes have changed with the FAFSA, including Pell Grant expansion, which is expected to benefit 610,000 new students from low-income backgrounds. The FAFSA application itself has changed in an attempt to streamline the user experience to allow applicants to skip as many as 26 questions making the process more efficient.

In a press release, JWCC interim financial aid director Chris Genenbacher said, “The FAFSA is the primary tool to identify funding for college, and some changes this year should expand more aid to students who need it the most. The process can be confusing, especially with this year’s changes, so we wanted to provide workshops to help students and parents navigate the application.”

Genenbacher noted federal and state funding provided through the FAFSA goes further at JWCC than four-year public and private institutions given the lower tuition cost.

“Students who qualify for full Pell and MAP grants will have most tuition covered at JWCC,” Genenbacher said. “Some students receive Pell refunds to help cover college-related expenses such as books, technology and even living expenses. Illinois college students should file the FAFSA as soon as possible as the state Monetary Award Program grant provides additional tuition support for those who qualify, but sometimes the funding is cut off based on when students file the FAFSA.”

Attendees are encouraged to bring 2022 tax documents and their FSA ID if available. Registration for either workshop can be made by contacting JWCC’s Financial Aid Office at 217-641-4333 or financialaid@jwcc.edu.